16 teams will shortly begin their campaigns to reach the ICC World Twenty20 2014 in Bangladesh. Here's the Cricket World guide to who has qualified already, and how the various tournaments work.

The ICC World Twenty20 has made huge strides since its inaugural event in 2007, memorably won by India in South Africa. 12 teams participated with Kenya and Scotland 'qualifying' by virtue of their one-day form.

Times have changed. Now there is an established qualification pathway which offers any ICC-affiliated nation the opportunity to mix it with the Full Members - as Ireland, Netherlands and Afghanistan have done between 2009 and 2012.

Netherlands and Ireland both caused upsets in 2009 by beating England and Bangladesh respectively.

From 2009, a women's tournament has run alongside the men's event and as the men's event is expanding from 12 teams to 16 in 2014, the women's event, for which qualification has already been decided, will include 10 teams. Bangladesh and Ireland will make their debut.

So, how does the qualification work?

Stage 1 - Regional Qualifiers

To earn the right to join the top-ranked Associate & Affiliate (i.e. non-Test playing members) at the final qualifying event, regional tournaments were held in the ICC regions (Europe, Americas, East-Asia Pacific, Asia and Africa).

Each side will play every other side in their group for a total of seven matches in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah - 16 of these games will be streamed live by the ICC so you will be able to catch some of the action.

Once these games are complete, this is where it gets a little more complicated.

The group winners qualify automatically for the ICC World Twenty20 qualification stage.

The group runners-up and third-placed teams then play off with the winners also making it through.

The losers of these games get a final chance to qualify. First, they wait for the results of the matches between the fourth-placed and fifth-placed teams in the group, playing the winners. The winners of these two matches will also qualify.

That is how 16 teams will be whittled down to the six who will be able to book their flights to Bangladesh.